


Naive, Not Stupid

by RobinReaper



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: :), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, BAMF Ben, Ben Whump, Ben doesn't need True Love's Kiss to break a spell, Ben-centric (Disney: Descendants), Character Study, Consent Issues, Descendants 1 & 2, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Manipulation, Extremely Dubious Consent, Good Fairy Godmother, He's smarter than that, Heartbreak, I'd like to think some parts are a little funny or interesting or whatever, It's not all doom and gloom, Loss of Innocence, Loss of Trust, Love Potion/Spell, Magic, Multi, Naive Ben, No Descendants 3 Spoilers, No Smut, No True Love's Kiss, POV Third Person, Paranoia, References to Depression, Retelling from Ben's perspective, Rollercoaster of Emotions, Sort Of, This can be read as a stand alone story, in that he's not stupid and has a plan in place for spells against him, or it can be seen as a prologue to D3 fics that ship Ben with someone other than Mal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 04:23:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20772482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinReaper/pseuds/RobinReaper
Summary: Ben had a gift, like a superpower.He was Super Nice.Fairy Godmother had laughed at him when he told her this, a bright tinkling laugh that held no cruelty or mocking, just fondness and amusement. “Of course that’s your Superpower”, she said sincerely, delicately pouring them each another cup of tea. “But you know that all Superpowers come with a weakness, right? Your open and loving heart is a great strength. There’s no doubt about that. But this honest faith you have in other people leaves you vulnerable to those who wish to misuse your generosity. Do you understand, Ben?”Or, Ben is aware of the dangers his position puts him in and takes precautions against possible threats, though it doesn't change the path he's on as much as he would like for it to.





	Naive, Not Stupid

**Author's Note:**

> This is my slightly dark solution to the dilemma of Ben's True Love in Descendants 2, for those of us who don't think Mal and Ben are destined to be together, Happily Ever After.  
This fic allows for them to find love with other characters in D3 fics, like Ben and Carlos, Ben and Harry, Mal and Evie or whomever else you like, while still sticking fairly close to canon.  
Despite this, this story does respect Mal and Uma and the time Ben spends loving them, but calls them all out on their respective bs when necessary.  
I just think Ben isn't given enough credit as he's not completely dumb and naïve and he has the capacity to learn from his mistakes. The films seem to sweep his traumas under the rug like nothing happened too, which didn't sit well with me, so this fic happened.  
Any who, I'll let y'all read it. Make of it what you will :)

Ben knew he could be a bit naïve sometimes.

It was hardly a big secret.

He tried to always be kind, loving and helpful to others, but that sometimes backfired.

Fairy Godmother had once told him that those three qualities were the attributes that would make him a great King someday. He wanted to be the best king he could be for Auradon and her people, so he dedicated himself to those traits until they became an irreparable part of who he was. As time went on, he began to see that others were responding to his actions with good deeds of their own, seeing the Good in the world, first through him and then within themselves, before passing it on to others in a strange but beautiful chain reaction. ‘One Good Turn Deserves Another,’ as Fairy Godmother would often say.

The young prince saw these reactions to his kindness so often that he started to believe his contagious optimism could work on everyone. It felt like a Superpower of sorts. Like Fairy Godmother’s magic. Or like Audrey’s natural beauty and songful voice and Chad’s ability to talk to animals.

Ben was Super Nice.

He had told Fairy Godmother this once, when they met up for their routine chats about how their week had been over hot tea and little triangle sandwiches. She had practically raised him in his younger years, as his parents were frequently busy with their royal duties across the states of Auradon. She was his mentor and friend.

Fairy Godmother had laughed at him, a bright tinkling laugh that held no cruelty or mocking, just fondness and amusement. “Of course that’s your Superpower”, she said sincerely, delicately pouring them each another cup of tea. “But you know that all Superpowers come with a weakness, right? Your open and loving heart is a great strength. There’s no doubt about that. But this honest faith you have in other people leaves you vulnerable to those who wish to misuse your generosity. Do you understand, Ben?”

Ben had nodded heavily, letting her words soak in.

“You need to protect yourself without compromising who you are or your ambitions to be a Good King. There is only so much the royal guards and I can do to keep you safe and I don’t want to be overbearing, I know I can be sometimes. Your coronation is only a few months away and just because the ‘bad guys’ are locked up on the Isle doesn’t mean there aren’t people with poor intentions hidden here among us in Auradon. Magic is a tool that can be used for both Good and Evil and I worry someone may use it against you and try to put you under enchantments of some kind. Perhaps no one will take advantage of you and your rule will be peaceful, but better to be safe than sorry, my dear.”

She then smiled sympathetically at him, giving him time to process what she had said. When they had conversations like this that concerned his future as the leader of Auradon, Fairy Godmother would tell him an issue he may face, and Ben would then be tasked with thinking up a solution for it. He had used to need prompting but now he was well enough versed with their routine to know what was expected of him.

He sat drinking his tea thoughtfully while the Headmistress opened up a little box of pastel coloured macarons and fussed around deciding which colour to eat first. She settled on a pale blue one that was decorated to look like rippling water and an idea sparked in Ben’s mind.

“The Enchanted Lake! The water reverses curses and spells doesn’t it? I could, I don’t know, make sure to go swimming in it once or twice a week, and it would wash away any enchantments I was under.”

Fairy Godmother had beamed, delighted at his idea and thus a plan was put in motion. They worked some time slots into Ben’s busy schedule for him to go swimming, putting it down under a false, innocuous title so no one would know. If Ben’s safety system was public knowledge, it wouldn’t be very effective because villains would find a way to work around it. Hopefully with this secret solution, Ben’s naivety wouldn’t destroy the whole country.

-

Both he and Fairy Godmother had hoped that their plan wouldn’t be necessary, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case.

Ben was proud and confident with his decision to bring the VKs to Auradon. He knew the risks of course, his father had made sure he never forgot, but he also truly believed that the children from the Isle weren’t innately Bad. They had the potential to learn to be Good and thrive in Auradon among the AKs.

He had been incredibly happy with the children that had come over from the Isle as well. They intrigued him and Ben found that he genuinely enjoyed their company. Jay was funny and easy going with a confidence in himself that Ben envied but found refreshing to observe. Evie was so smart and enthusiastic, though she tried to hide it. Privately, Ben thought that Carlos was one of the bravest people he had ever met. He had clearly had a rough childhood filled with fear and misinformation, if his initial reaction to Dude was anything to go by, and yet he had overcome those fears and reservations admirably. And Mal, well, Mal was pretty cool. From the moment he met her, Ben knew that they would be in each other’s lives for a long time to come. They had an easy back and forth that Ben was looking forward to calling a strong friendship as it developed.

And then he looked at her one morning and she became his everything.

Just like that. Out of nowhere.

Part of his brain wanted him to be cautious about his newfound devotion to her, but the rest of it just wanted to know what her favourite colour was and what her hair would look like with flecks of snow falling around her like a halo and what her mouth might feel like against his.

There was something about her that he couldn’t quite put his finger on, and he was being driven crazy by it.

Fairy Godmother hadn’t actually attended the big Tourney game, as she had paperwork to sort out in her office, but she had hurried up to Ben early the next day once the gossip of events had reached her. Ben noted that she looked concerned, but he was in too much of a haze thinking about Mal and what she might be doing in that moment to ask about it. The headmistress had given him a long, surveying look before speaking.

“Have you gone to the lake recently Ben?”

Ben had frowned. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been for a swim. It must have been before the VKs arrived because he’d been far too busy since then juggling his school work, training for Tourney, preparations for the coronation and finding time to hang out with the VKs, especially Mal. Speaking of Mal, Ben really wanted to take her on a date today. Wouldn’t that be nice?

He relayed all of this to Fairy Godmother and she pursed her lips before giving him a smile that didn’t quite drown out the sadness in her eyes.

“Perhaps you could take her on a date to the Enchanted Lake then. Kill two birds with one stone, as it were. Not that anyone should kill birds, but you know what I mean.”

With this new idea set in his mind, Ben dashed off wanting to ask Mal out as soon as possible and then nip to the kitchens to gather some things for a picnic.

He didn’t think about the implications within his conversation with Fairy Godmother, couldn’t even fathom that anyone would doubt Mal’s intentions with him.

-

Ben felt empty when he hit the water.

It was all gone.

Just gone.

He hadn’t ‘loved’ her for long, but he had felt so happy as he pined for her, like her presence had taken away all the stress that had been building up inside him for so long and she had left him feeling lighter than air just by glancing his way.

It was a shock to his system to have all of that reversed so suddenly.

While he was still under the surface of the lake, he grieved.

He didn’t realise how much he craved loving someone like that, and being loved, or at least cared for, in return. It scared him that those feelings could be so easily created and falsified with magic, though with hindsight he could detect a strange haze around his memories of her after the enchantment had taken hold.

He felt the danger of his naivety so strongly in that moment that it nearly crippled him completely.

When he broke the surface of the lake, he realised that he’d drifted out of sight of the picnic spot he’d set up for Mal. He needed to confront her about the love spell and hope she gave an honest answer.

His determination crumbled when he saw her drowning though, and he hastened to help her get back to dry land.

She’d jumped in after him, even though she couldn’t swim. Tried to save him, knowing it would put herself in danger, but she did it anyway.

Ben couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope well up in him and he decided to keep quiet and see where this thing between them went.

He couldn’t be sure what her intentions were for putting him under a love spell, but he liked to think it was just because she liked him. Realistically, it had something to do with her mother and the barrier currently separating the Mistress of Evil from the rest of Auradon. Mal hadn’t exactly been subtle in her hunt for Fairy Godmother’s wand, but Ben could see the doubt and conflict within her. None of the Isle kids wanted to do whatever it was their parents commanded of them, and Ben was willing to wait out whatever disaster was coming their way. It would be cutting it close, but he had faith that Mal would choose Good in the end.

He was happy when she offered him another mysterious baked good on the carriage ride over to his coronation. It cemented the idea in his head that she cared about him and his wellbeing, that he’d made a good decision to trust her.

As a last-minute plan, he ate the cupcake and revealed that he’d known about the love potion for a while, though he didn’t explain his darker theories on her reasoning behind the enchantment, just the one he wished it could have been. It didn’t matter particularly, he just needed her to know that he was aware she used magic on him and that it was completely fine. He needed her to know that she was accepted here and that she could always have a place by his side even without any magical influence.

-

It paid off.

While it could have gone better, the coronation definitely could have gone a whole lot worse.

Mal had chosen Good as Ben had thought she would and Maleficent was no longer a threat. The VKs could stay on at Auradon Prep and, after what would probably be a high number of negotiations with the Council due to the near fatal incident they had just had, Ben would be able to bring more children over from the Isle.

He smiled over at Fairy Godmother during the celebrations later that evening and she beamed genuinely back at him before making a gesture like she was drinking tea with her pinkie finger out while mouthing ‘tomorrow’. Ben shot her a quick thumbs up before being dragged back into all the dancing and festivities by an excited Mal.

The next day, he told Fairy Godmother everything that had happened in the last few days that she had been unaware of, apologising for keeping her out of the loop. He didn’t even need prompting before he was suggesting a swifter course of action, should this same situation arise again.

“I know we were lucky with Mal and how she did things. We had time to fix the enchantment so that I was of sound mind during the fiasco with Maleficent, but we won’t always have that luxury. Now that I’m King I need to step up the security, so I thought, maybe I should always make sure to keep some water from the Enchanted Lake on me, like in a small flask or vial or something. The love and trust curses will make me want to deny being under a spell so if you become suspicious that I’ve been compromised again, and it’s a time sensitive or more severe issue, you can bate me into splashing myself with the water and that should fix things.”

The proud, motherly look on Fairy Godmother’s face was all Ben needed in response. When they hugged goodbye at the end of their tea chat, she patted a small but beautiful crystal bottle into his palm and sent him straight off in the direction of the Lake to put phase two of their security measure into motion.

-

Ben tentatively started an actual relationship with Mal. It never quite reached the level it had been at during her love potion, but he fell into it comfortably. It became something soothing and familiar to rely on during all of the hectic responsibilities being King threw his way. When he had told her he loved her before, he had privately meant he loved her as a friend, but, as their time together continued, he decided he meant it in a romantic sense as well.

The King gave Mal his ring as a promise to love and respect her and hoped this would help her understand his ever-growing feelings towards her.

Mal was stunning and strong, adapting remarkably well to Auradon, all things considered. Ben could see sometimes that the pace of life dating a member of the royal family brought might have been too much for Mal, but he gave her space, assuming she would come to him if she ever needed anything or wanted to discuss something.

They were a team now, after all. Being open with each other was part of that, right?

-

Ben found out Mal had been keeping things from him again.

He didn’t so much mind that she was using magic generally. She was part Dark Fae, of course she would be excited to do magic finally, but he didn’t want her to start relying on it too much and forget how to live without it. The spell book was a separate matter, as it had been Mal’s mothers and had some dangerous curses and recipes in it, that should be protected in case it fell into the wrong hands. He probably should have explained his reasoning better, but he got kind of flustered when arguing with people, especially with matters he really cared about.

And she tried to spell him!

Again!

She tried to take away his memory of her use of magic to make it seem like nothing ever happened.

Ben wanted to be angry. He wanted to be furious.

Instead, he just felt dirty and cold.

Mal could take away his free will. With a few quick words, or a gesture, or a freaking cookie, for Auradon’s sake!

And she didn’t seem to mind? She had so much power over him, over everyone, but no set rules on how she used it like Fairy Godmother did. She would use it on a whim regardless of the implications or the affect it could have on others.

Mal could use it to hurt and manipulate.

After she had stormed off, Ben was conflicted and began to spiral.

What if she’d done something magic to him and then used that memory spell to make him forget about it?

Sure, she had undone the cooking spell, to show him the meal she had actually made him, but that didn’t mean she would have undone other spells that still held. She was still blond after all.

Ben mentally checked himself over. He didn’t feel any different. Or particularly hazy like he had when influenced by the love potion before.

But he wasn’t an expert on magic.

For all he knew, he might be spelled.

He had been swimming in the lake less frequently lately and, even if it had washed away any enchantments, Mal knew about his routine and could easily have just redone the spell and wiped his memory afterwards.

Alone in that gazebo, he had taken the little vial of lake water out of his trouser pocket and stared at it miserably.

Despite her use of simple magic and the pressure their relationship had been under recently, surely they still cared about each other.

She wouldn’t do that to him again, would she?

He could trust Mal right?

Did he trust Mal?

-

He cried when the water dripping through his hair changed nothing.

-

After that, Ben didn’t have time to dwell on his moment of doubt.

Half an hour after he had got back from refilling the empty vial with more Enchanted Lake water, Evie had burst into his office with a note from Mal saying she’d run away, back to the Isle.

From there, it was a hectic dash to gather the guys together, change into Isle-appropriate clothing and then sneak a limo past the guards posted around the school.

The only thing his mind had space for was Mal’s safety. Regardless of where they stood, relationship-wise, he still cared for her a lot. She was one of his best friends and he didn’t want anything bad to happen to her.

He understood now, how difficult being in Auradon must have been for her, with its impossibly high expectations. Ben had been taught to deal with the pressure from a young age, but Mal had just been thrown in at the deep end, unaware of how to keep up with this new world and take care of her own health at the same time.

When they arrived, Ben found that the Isle was an endless source of wonder for him. He found himself curious about every little corner of it. This was where his friends had grown up. Where Mal had practised and developed her love of art and vandalism, where Jay had built up his smooth personality and quick handedness, where Evie had got her fashion inspiration and her confidence to strutt down the streets in killer heels, where Carlos had first found machine parts to tinker with which had led to his skill with technology. These were the streets Mal had ruled over with their friends, instilling fear and submission into passers-by, and Ben felt a strange thrill of excitement shoot down his spine at the thought of their history here.

He could also see the horrors of the Isle. They passed many hungry children and shady figures on their way to the VK’s hideout. The streets were littered with garbage and Ben’s pretty sure he spotted a family of rats eating something suspiciously person shaped down an alley. He swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat and focused on fitting in with the others and not drawing attention to himself.

All too soon, they reached the stairs to the hideout, threw a rock up at the dented yellow warning sign and Ben was being ushered up the first few steps towards the main room of the den, towards Mal.

When he saw her, his words left him.

She was a vision, back in her Isle clothes, rocking the purple and green, her hair pink and in a new… interesting style. It hit him again how much Mal had been repressing herself these last couple of months with all the pastel colours and delicate dresses.

It had been unfair of him to ask so much of her, but he had to ask just once more, and this time he would make compromises to ensure she was more comfortable with everything.

Ben pleaded for her to come home.

He offered her the ring she had left behind.

And, yeah, they would have to talk it all through back at Auradon. They both had issues concerning their ability to have free will in this relationship, but, if they put the work and effort in and were finally honest with one another, surely, they could find happiness together.

He loved her, magic and all, and that might be enough.

Mal closed his fist on the ring and asked him to leave.

It seemed it would never be enough, so Ben did as she said, feeling the emptiness creeping into his heart once more.

-

Being kidnapped wasn’t as bad as Ben had thought it would be.

If he had been kidnapped a few days ago when he was still cheerful and oblivious to the issues around him, he probably would have been freaking out. As it was, he was content to just stand still where he was tied to the mast of the pirate ship and let things play out.

His brain hurt in that foggy, pulsing way it did whenever he’d been staring at the Kingdom’s paperwork for too long. His thoughts were scattered and trivial, so he let them pass him by.

One of the pirates had tried to get a rise out of him, but he couldn’t focus enough out of the heartbroken haze he was in to respond. He probably wouldn’t have reacted anyway, as he’d been trained to deal with hostage situations since he was seven. Compared to some of the scenarios Fairy Godmother had aired to him, this kidnapping was a holiday retreat to the coast.

When Uma, the Captain of the ship he was on, came by to talk to him, Ben was snapped out of the internal daze he’d been in. Her presence was one that demanded attention, no questions asked.

She told him a deal had been struck between the crew and the Core Four. They would bring Fairy Godmother’s wand to the docks and trade it for Ben’s life.

It sounded simple enough.

Ben just didn’t know if Mal and the gang would actually follow through with it or not.

Sure, they were his friends and he loved all of them, but was his life really worth giving up the magic wand?

They had to know it wasn’t, the kingdom would be in too much danger.

Uma wanted to break down the barrier, once and for all, to allow the children to escape the Isle, and to allow herself and her crew the chance to explore the seas. But in doing so, she would unleash all the angry villain parents who wanted to seek revenge and wreak havoc on the people of Auradon.

Ben tried to convince her that there were other ways she could go about freeing herself and those she cared about, but Uma wanted to accomplish this task by herself and on her own terms. If the situation weren’t so dire, Ben would commend her on her drive, ambition and spirit.

Finding out that he was the cause of Uma’s anger, with his decision to bring Mal, Jay, Evie and Carlos over and not anyone else, not her or a member of her crew, hurt a lot. He hadn’t considered that this would be the outcome of his first proclamation. It was just another thing to add to the growing mountain of stuff he’d messed up because of his naivety.

He had tried so hard to do his best by his people, but he was only one man. Boy, really. A pathetic boy King who didn’t really know what he was doing.

What was he doing wrong?

How was he supposed to stay kind and loving and helpful to others when it would all come back to bite him in the ass at a later date?

Ben just wanted everyone to be equal and happy.

Was that too much to ask?

He was so sick of asking.

Ben wanted it all to just stop and leave him alone.

He didn’t want to have to worry anymore. About Auradon, about the Isle, about Mal.

He wanted it to be over.

-

But the show stops for no one.

New strings were connected, and the puppet danced back into the spotlight.

-

Uma was radiant.

She shined bright like the moon and the stars combined and Ben would follow her like the tide.

She filled him with life after the emptiness he had been feeling recently.

He didn’t want to remember why he had felt empty, so he didn’t. He didn’t have to worry about it anymore. The only thing that mattered was that Uma had been the one to fill the cavity in his chest.

His heart sang for her now, and her alone.

Ben couldn’t wait to make her a Lady of the Court, couldn’t wait to watch her storm the Council chambers and do away with their outdated notions about Good and Evil, Right and Wrong. She would help him fix everything, rule by his side over their combined lands, as equals, a shared force of nature wiping the slate clean and starting over anew.

Their reign would be as beautiful as she was.

He danced with her on the deck of the Cotillion ship and revelled in the attention his Goddess gave him.

He felt so lucky and whole.

A strange feeling passed over him when the stained-glass window of himself and Mal was revealed. It felt like an echo of some forgotten pain, so he ignored it. He was happier than he had been with Mal, even when he was under her love potion, so he wouldn’t dwell on the past, but look to the future.

The future he would share with his True Queen.

Ben would move heaven and earth for Uma, and yet she only wished for one thing; the removal of the barrier that entrapped the Isle of the Lost.

Who was Ben to say no to her?

She deserved so much more, but this he could give to her.

He made the order, but Fairy Godmother refused.

Ben couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

Uma was the light in the darkness, she should be denied nothing.

The world was her oyster, she should be free to decide what happens to it.

As King, Ben should be able to give her everything.

But people weren’t letting him.

He made eye contact with Fairy Godmother, about to reprimand her, but stopped as she made a panicked gesture to his jacket pocket and motioned shaking something over her head.

What-

His thoughts were interrupted by Uma pulling him aside and letting him looking into her stunning eyes. They were so warm and caring, full of love and hope. Mal approaching him and Uma while he was distracted.

Her bold words confused him.

Hadn’t she been the one to break up with him? Why was she talking about love, when they’d both moved on with their lives? Their relationship was so yesterday, couldn’t she be happy for him and Uma?

Uma was asking him to look at her, so of course he did. He’d do anything for her.

Mal kept jabbering on about him looking into her eyes instead, but Ben didn’t like her eyes as much as he loved Uma’s. His ex-girlfriend was making him feel uncomfortable, so he tried to keep his focus on Uma.

At one point, Mal made as though to lean into his personal space to kiss him for some reason, but he craned his neck back in alarm and nudged her away with a hand to her shoulder.

His brain felt like it was spinning around and around in his head.

Where was Uma? Oh, right next to him. Maybe she could help?

“Oh for Goodness sake, you’ve been spelled, dear!”

He snapped in the direction of Fairy Godmother’s voice, fury filling him.

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

Ben took a step forward in her direction, growling and making those near him jump back in fear.

“Am not!”

“Prove it.”

Her gesture from earlier suddenly made sense and Ben had never been angrier in his entire life.

How dare she accuse Uma of cursing him!

His love for her was genuine and if it would take some silly lake water to show everyone, then so be it.

Ben broke away from where he was standing near Uma and Mal. It wouldn’t do to have anyone stop him or claim that the results of this little test had been meddled with.

He pulled the bottle of magic water out of his pocket and was met with murmurs of confusion from the Cotillion guests.

Fairy Godmother kept quiet and he met her gaze defiantly.

Ben unstopped the vial and, in a sharp motion, upended it over his head.

-

It had happened again.

It had happened, _again_.

Ben felt himself deflate like a balloon.

All the anger rushed out of him, but so did everything else. All the love and the good feelings abandoned him at once.

He was empty again.

He felt dead.

Like a zombie or something.

He was vaguely aware that everyone was watching him, but the thought didn’t stop him from dropping down to sit on the wooden deck below him. He crossed his legs and rest his elbows on his knees, ignoring everyone in favour of rubbing tiredly at his temples. He needed to let his world re-centre now it had nothing to orbit around.

“Thank you, Fairy Godmother,” he mumbled into the shocked and worried silence.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up. Mal was kneeling in front of him, a hopeful smile on her face. Ben wanted to shrug her off, but he just didn’t have the energy.

He didn’t want to be touched right now.

He wanted to be left alone.

Preferably forever.

Everyone seemed to forget about Uma for a moment, amidst the concern for their King, but when she made a move towards Fairy Godmother, all hell broke loose.

Ben tried to shake off the effect that coming out of the spell had had on him, but it nagged at his every movement and word.

He couldn’t stop Uma from jumping ship and attacking them, or Mal from turning into a dragon and fighting her.

He didn’t want to get involved but he was already in the thick of it and it was his duty to sort things out and make everything okay again.

-

Throwing himself into the water seemed like a good idea at the time, but the sea was cold, and his clothes were heavy around him in the water. Ben just wanted to be out of there, no more fighting or enchantments or love, but he’d have to put a stop to this before he could have any of those things.

He tried to talk Mal and Uma down, pulling on his memories of solving past disputes to help him, though nothing compared well to this situation.

He decided he wanted Uma to join Auradon.

She might have spelled him and taken some of his free will, but he’d given Mal a second chance after the love potion, so he would extend the same offer to Uma. Villainous plot aside, Ben could see she was a strong-willed person who just wanted what was best for her people, as he did.

She didn’t need to trick him to get it.

He didn’t know what the future would hold, but his main goal would be achieving unity with the Isle and its people in as safe a way as possible.

The tattered mess of what was left of his hopes lifted slightly when one of Uma’s tentacles reached towards him.

His cursed ring was placed back in Ben’s hand yet again.

He watched Uma swim away into the open ocean.

A cheer rang out from up on the boat. Mal hesitated but flew back to the deck.

Ben stayed where he was, treading water. Someone had thrown a rope ladder over the side of the ship, but Ben ignored it for a moment while he stared at the ring in his hand.

It had been his father’s. It had his crest engraved into it. The mark of the Beast curse.

His dad had wanted to reclaim the image and make it positive, a symbol of love and promise.

But for Ben, the meaning of this ring was warped.

He had seen different versions of love and loyalty. Many had failed or broken him repeatedly.

His naivety of the world and things people would do for power had cost him dearly.

His naivety for love had crushed his heart.

The ring reminded him of these things every second he looked at it.

He didn’t want that burden hanging over him anymore.

Ben lowered the ring into the murky water.

Maybe this would give him the fresh start he needed.

With that, he let it go.

-

-

-

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are welcome and appreciated, my dudes. Thanks for reading!!


End file.
